Toto Wolff is once again set to miss a Grand Prix weekend, this time in Imola. Having chosen not to attend the Japanese GP last month, the Mercedes team principal has developed a knack for taking a weekend off. For the Suzuka race, though, it was a peculiar reason that led Wolff to avoid traveling to Japan.
Apparently, the Austrian’s height was a factor that convinced him not to travel to the Land of the Rising Sun, as he has missed out on the Japanese GP weekend for the past three seasons. The 6’5″ tall Wolff has an imposing figure compared to the average height of 5’7″ in Japan.
Their infrastructure has also been built, keeping the smaller physique of people in mind. That is why taller individuals like Wolff have often found it difficult to visit Japan and go about their business as usual.
However, the 53-year-old has other personal reasons to miss out on the Imola GP next weekend, as his son Benedict is graduating after finishing his business degree. But who is Benedict Wolff?
Toto Wolff’s first-born from his first wife, Stephanie, Benedict has often stayed away from the spotlight that his father has enjoyed over the past decade and a half. After the Austrian’s divorce from Stephanie, Benedict and his sister Rosa have been in occasional contact with their father, and rarely attend race weekends, too.
However, Benedict is developing a good career for himself and has pursued a Bachelor’s of Business Administration Degree from the University of Southern California. Just like his father, the 23-year-old seemingly has a knack for business in the sporting world, having done an internship with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Now that he would be graduating, Wolff would be proud of his eldest son and would want to be there for this special moment in his life. More so, after Benedict attended the Miami GP last week, and walked in the paddock alongside the Mercedes boss.
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While Benedict doesn’t seem keen on following in his father’s footsteps, Wolff would like to see him take a good management role and make good use of his business acumen, be it in motorsport or in any other sport he likes.
However, Benedict’s attendance in the Miami paddock would raise speculations about whether the Mercedes boss would line him up for a management role in F1 itself.
